York City must avoid a repeat scenario from last season when hosting bottom-of-the-table North Ferriby United at Bootham Crescent on New Year’s Day (kick-off 3.00pm).
Twelve months ago the Minstermen won by a single-goal in the first of back-to-back meetings with the part-time, village outfit, but then promptly lost the home return by the same margin less than a week later – a simply disastrous result that ultimately relegated them.
City already comfortably accounted for their latest opponents by a 4-1 scoreline in their most recent outing courtesy of Jon Parkin’s first-ever hat-trick for the club being added to by on loan defender Jonny Burn.
North Ferriby have experienced an absolutely dire time of it since being relegated alongside York at the end of last season.
They come into their next challenge having alarmingly lost eight successive games while taking just a single-point from an available thirty – that a 2-2 draw at Southport in early November.
Vital Quotes:
“We’ve got to have the same approach and mentality and make sure we win this next game,” manager Martin Gray told York’s official YouTube channel. “We’re going into the home game on the back of a very strong performance. But that’s gone, it’s what we do now and I think you’ve got to forget about what happened then. We’ve got to give the fans something to go home happy about.”
York City Team News:
Skipper Sean Newton is making good progress from an ankle injury but won’t be considered just yet. Otherwise, Louis Almond [shoulder], Michael Rankine [high blood pressure] and Clovis Kamdjo [knee] remain out.
York City (probable): Bartlett, Law, Burn, Bencherif, Ferguson, Moke, McAllister, Pattison, Connolly, Morgan-Smith, Parkin
subs: Rowe, Smith, Gray, Parslow, Simpson
Player to watch: Sean Pattison
The Middlesbrough loanee midfielder is looking an increasingly bright prospect.
North Ferriby United Team News:
Former City duo Simon Russell and Callum Rzonca both started the latest meeting while a third, Craig Nelthorpe, was brought off the bench. However, Leeds-born winger Rzonca is rated doubtful this time having suffered a hamstring injury on Boxing Day. Two more ex-York players, Ben Clappison and Russell Fry, weren’t involved in proceedings at Grange Lane. Otherwise, Brett Agnew is set to replace Bobby Johnson from the start while striker Alex Davidson has only just returned to the club.
North Ferriby United (possible): Durrant, Cooke, Picton, Skelton, Walters, Nelthorpe,
Bolder, Russell, Agnew, Slew, Stewart
subs: Johnson, Lofts, Exall, Forrester, Davidson
Player to watch: Carl Stewart
Acomb-born former York City Academy striker who scored a consolation goal against the Minstermen on Boxing Day.
Match Facts & Stats
North Ferriby have made just a single previous visit to Bootham Crescent – and triumphed 1-0 exactly twelve months ago courtesy of former York striker Reece Thompson’s first-half winner. Team: Letheren, Rooney, Klukowski, Racine, Heslop, Holmes (Rzonca), Moke (Whittle), Lappin, Newton, Parkin, Murphy
Next Fixtures:
York – Darlington (A); North Ferriby – Alfreton (H)
New Year’s Day Fixtures: Alfreton v Stockport; Brackley v Leamington; Curzon Ashton v Bradford PA; Gainsborough v Boston; Harrogate v Darlington; Kidderminster v AFC Telford; Salford v FC United of Manchester; Southport v Chorley; Spennymoor v Blyth; Tamworth v Nuneaton; York City v North Ferriby
